


Time in a Tree

by goodnightlove



Category: Team Fortress 2
Genre: Developing Friendships, Developing Relationship, Flash Fire - Freeform, Flashfire - Freeform, I haven't written in so long pls be gentle, M/M, Team Fortress 2 - Freeform, Two dorks trying to get their feelings across, tf2
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-05
Updated: 2019-05-05
Packaged: 2020-02-26 11:58:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18716608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goodnightlove/pseuds/goodnightlove
Summary: Scout asks why Pyro always wears the suit and the arsonist struggles to find an answer that won't scare his friend away.





	Time in a Tree

**Author's Note:**

> It's been a while, I've lost and gained interest in a lot of fandoms, but haven't really completed anything in a long time. I think overall I have the most works in tf2, I've just never published anything.  
> This is loosely based off two old ocs I used to rp.
> 
> I hope you enjoy! 🌻

Pyro always understood that he was different. That the reality he saw on a daily basis was vastly different from what others saw. Growing up he absolutely hated it. He didn’t understand why he was born this way? Why couldn't he just be normal like the other children? For almost fifteen years the arsonist thought he was the only one in the world with the condition.

Eventually his opinions changed, and the bright, candy shaded world he always found himself in became essential for surviving. No matter what trauma or emotional situation he was going through, he could always escape there. He found the real world ugly, cold and cruel, and saw little reason to remain in it. He existed this way for so long, it felt almost like sleep walking through life. He could not recall specific events that happened each year, much less where he had gone to or stayed. 

Meeting and growing close to the other mercs felt like falling into a frozen lake. Pyroland suddenly wasn’t as important as it once was. He didn’t want to spend all his time there, he wanted to see their faces, hear their voices without the filter of Pyroland.

Py still had reservations about leaving the suit, it didn’t feel safe, not entirely. His employment with Mann Co. was only temporary after all. They were mercenaries and at some point they would all go their separate ways. He was going to be alone again, and he is so afraid of getting accustomed to the closeness of others. Sure they argued, things got heated when they lost a match, but he liked them, even Spy. He enjoyed his time with them, and all the crazy things they got into.

So he set about finding a balance. A safe distance from his Pyroland and the real world. How much could he open up, and would it make his teammates feel uncomfortable? In the end everything was fine, and the others even showed interest in speaking with him and made an effort to include him in things. And for a while he felt content, that was until Scout asked him a question a few days ago.

_“Hey Mumbles, why do you never take the mask and suit off?”_

No one had ever asked him that before, others tended to ask very little of the arsonist’s own affairs, not even Dell. The others seemed perfectly content with the firebug constantly clad in his fireproof shell.

The question not only took him by surprise cause Scout didn't like to ask personal questions. But because he didn’t really know how to answer. The truth sounded sad and kinda of strange. And Scout liked him, he didn’t want to weird out one of his best friends. This, compounded by Pyro’s own inability to express his emotions verbally. Many times they felt intangible and far out of reach. Introspection was not one of his stronger skills.

At the time he didn't have an answer for the Bostonian, and the question had lingered in the back of his mind for days. And he found himself dwelling more and more on the answer. Until one evening, whilst most of the base was asleep, Pyroland faded enough for him to think clearly, the bright colours and music softly receding back to the real world. And by sunrise, he had an answer for Scout.

 

○

 

Despite being up for twenty four hours he felt little fatigue. Which he attributed to anxiety of the situation. He made his way across the base, heading straight for the rec room, where Scout would no doubt be waiting for him. It was Sunday, and they had their routine of watching the Sunday Sci-fi Special until noon.

His gloved hand lingered over the door handle before pushing it open and stepping into the small brightly lit room. Scout sat on the couch, still in his pjs, blonde hair a mess from bed. The runner turned and smiled when Py stepped into the room.

“Hey there Py. Come sit down, the movie's already started.” The runner said scooting across the couch to make room for the fire starter.

Py crossed the space between them and sat down with a heavy thud onto the worn couch. All the courage he felt a few moments ago seemed to vanish the second he was in the same room as his friend. The two sat in silence for a while, Scout's attention on the movie. But it soon became apparent to the Bostonian that Py was unnaturally still next to him. The firebug always seemed to be moving, and for him to just sit still was more than a little strange.

“You okay pal? You not feelin' well today or something? I mean it's nine in the morning and you're all suited up.” Scout half turned on the couch to better face the arsonist.

Py looked up from the hole he'd been staring into the floor to face the green eyes staring back at him. Py took a deep breath, it coming out raspy due to the respirator. He slipped his gloves off his hands, then lifted the mask off his face and sat it aside.

When he met Scout's gaze, the Bostonian looked a little worried, his brows knitting together.

“I wanted to answer your question...about the suit.”

“Oh dat, hey I didn't want to make you feel bad or anythin'. You don't have to answer if you don't feel like it. It ain't going to bother me any.” Scout’s expression softened.

“I want to answer though. I finally have an answer. If you still want to hear it.” Pyro’s voice was always so much softer without the filter of the mask to obscure it. Scout realized long ago that Pyro must have to scream in the mask to get anyone to hear him clearly.

“Oh yeah sure, lay it on me.”

“You know I see and hear things...that aren’t real? I haven’t had a happy life, it’s always been easier to drift away, to escape there...into my hallucinations. When I’m there I don’t have to be afraid, no one can hurt me.” Pyro was boring a hole into the carpet again, his left hand absentmindedly tracing the rough edges of the burn scars of his right.

When Py received no reply from the Bostonian he began to panic a little, and hastily continued.

“People always treat me differently, I scare people I think. And that’s okay here, it’s my job...but out there, everyone else scares me. The suit feels nice, and people are afraid of the suit and mask, they don’t see me, I...I like that. The suit makes me feel safe.”

As silence fell between them Py felt his anxiety reach a new high. What was he doing dropping all this on Scout? The runner felt awkward enough expressing his own private thoughts, much less listening to someone drop really personal stuff on him. The closest Scout ever got to opening up was when his mother was in the hospital last year and Scout was unable to fly out and visit her. The runner was so scared and Pyro had let Scout spill all his fears, and promised not to tell any one that Scout had been caught crying. Pyro told Scout that if his mother got any worse, the two of them would bust out, go awol and visit her, Mann Co. be damned. From that point on things had been different between the youngest mercenaries.

“Thanks for telling me all of dat, I know it probably wasn’t easy. An I’m sorry if you felt like you had to. But I dunno Py, screw anyone who’s ever made you feel dat way. I’m not afraid of you, I mean hell yeah when you first joined, but then again you burned down Blu base while we were all sleepin'. Then I had to fight against you for a whole year, anyway I’m getting off track here.”

Scout shifted on the couch, turning to face Pyro more directly.

“I’m not afraid of you, and I don’t think your weird or anything. I mean holy shit I’ve never had a friend like you. Someone who has my back, who doesn’t think I’m stupid or something, who listens when I can’t stop talking. I don’t feel small next to you, if dat makes any sense.” Scout laughed softly at the end of his sentence, a little anxious by the volumes of words he is spilling. 

 

Py felt all his anxiety lifting and finally looked up to meet Scout. He looked sincere and a little disheveled with his bed hair. The sight was endearing. 

“Mostly I just tune you out, you can’t see anything with the mask on anyway.” Py said with a bratty grin.

“Jerk.” Scout said with no real venom, leaning over and punching Pyro softly on the arm.

“Honestly though, thank you Scout, for listening. I’m glad we’re friends.” Pyro’s anxiety had melted away, replaced with a deep fatigued. 

“And if you ever have a day where you just want to stay in the suit then go ahead. I mean we're all used to you in it anyway.”

Py smiled at Scout and sighed softly, his anxiety visibly melting away. “So what are you watching?”

“Oh um I think it's called The Blob. And it's as weird as it sounds. I dunno a giant like ball of snot is rolling around killin' people.”

The two of them settled back onto the couch, each taking their familiar places. Py tries to stifle a yawn as he grabs a pillow and lays down, his head resting against Scout's leg. The runner feels the arsonist sigh next to him and waits a moment before laying his arm across Py’s side. The suit feels cool and a little tacky beneath his hand, but it’s become so synonymous with Pyro he can’t bring himself to mind.

“You been to bed yet pal?” Scout said leaning his head sideways to look down at Pyro.

“Not exactly.”

“Well if you go to sleep I'll wake you up when lunch is ready.”

Pyro hummed approvingly, nestling his face into the pillow. Scout’s arm was a welcome weight, constant and secure against him. Pyro soon found himself drifting off, lulled by Scout’s steady breathing.


End file.
